


Captain's Log

by Weresilver-In-Space (JuhllyMBS)



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Captain Leonard McCoy, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-08-26 08:06:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16677799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuhllyMBS/pseuds/Weresilver-In-Space
Summary: A single different action can change everything. An entire career change leads Leonard McCoy to the captain chair, and the doctor-turned-captain finds himself responsible for the crew in ways he never could have expected.





	1. A fork in the path

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SheWhoWillRise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheWhoWillRise/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The first chapter of an AU inspired by SheWhoWillRise edits on tumblr! Hope you enjoy it!

He came to regret most of the time he had spent in San Francisco. Why did he even think that going to _Starfleet_ of all places was a good idea?? Three years ago, Leonard McCoy decided it was time for a fresh start somewhere _far_ , but he started to question if space was not _too_ far away.

Not only he hated – to not use the word _fear_ in the Academy – the idea of flying around, but the idea of being in outer space encountering god knows what was even worse.

And yet, the worst part of it all seemed to be how loud and bubbly his roommate was first thing in the morning.

“Jim, keep it down,” Leonard demanded with a mug of black coffee in one hand and a few PADDs under the other arm. “Not everyone is a morning person.”

“C'mon, Bones,” he took bites of a toast the doctor had left, “Can't be that bad to have me around.”

“When you are this loud, it is.” He was walking out of the dorm when he turned around to glare at the blonde man still in pajamas. “And stop stealing my things, dammit!”

Jim believed ‘stealing’ to be a strong word to use, but the doctor’s green colored glare had him silent for a second. _How was he ever a doctor with such a bad attitude?_ At least he closed the door without slamming it.

Leonard was walking calmly before the morning rush could begin. For all he complained about waking up as soon as the sun rose in the sky, he preferred it to the crowded and loud corridors of, say, an hour later. It was also nice to be the first to arrive in the Medical Ward to catch up on some reading.

He sat down at his usual front spot and started reading the open file of one of the PADDs. His research on the psychological effects of prolonged space travel was still in its earliest steps, but it was an interesting read so far. Although he wasn't sure he wanted to really understand the effects it could have on _him_.

“Maybe I'll go to a station somewhere,” he mumbled to himself, “Hell, if I'm lucky I won't go _anywhere_.”

“Oh, please, Len,” the feminine voice spoke suddenly, startling him into turning around. “That's as boring as it can get.”

“Good morning to you too, Christine,” Leonard greeted after his brain registered who was talking to him. “You're early.”

She shrugged, also sitting at her usual place, almost in the middle of the auditorium. This was a smaller classroom than most of the others, since not that many cadets in Medical took the Hybrid Genetics course.

“Hey, Len,” Christine called after organizing her own PADDs on the desk, but she was interrupted by her own yawn, “What's the topic of the lecture today?”

“Reproduction techniques.” Damn it, that came out weird. “Ya know, since the immune system could attack any protein that's not–”

“It's alright, Len,” Christine interrupted him with a smile, tying her blonde hair up, “I get it.”

“So, uh, long night in medbay?”

Small chat filled the gap between his arrival and the beginning of the morning’s lecture. About half of the seats were occupied by the time it started, and Leonard took notes in one of the PADDs he had with him all throughout the lecture.

It was an uneventful morning, but still a little tiring. He was walking toward the restaurant just outside Starfleet Academy when a very well know arm went around his neck, resting on his shoulder.

“Hey, Bones!” Jim greeted him with a warm smile, looking very happy with something. “How was your morning?”

“Will you ever just _stop_?” Leonard sighed. “Pretty normal on my end, and yours as well, if you are as happy as you look.”

“Yeah, let's talk about it over lunch,” Leonard thought he saw his smile disappear for a second, but it came right back on. “They're serving some alien dishes I _really_ wanna try.”

“Are you sure it's the food you're interested in?”

Jim simply gave him a smirk, which caused Leonard to sigh exasperatedly in response. The restaurant was not what Leonard would call empty, but they didn’t wait long.

“I finally sent my transfer request,” Jim casually mentioned while he ate.

“You _what_?” Leonard looked up from his plate in disbelief. “You’re actually leaving the Command Division?”

“Yeah,” he shrugged, “I'm not gonna live in my father's shadow, it doesn't feel right to.”

“Well,” he could feel the weight in his roommate's voice, “At least that proves you have some brain cells left in that head of yours.”

Their plans for the future became the conversation topic during lunch, and time seemed to be quite impatient that day. Jim was the first to leave, claiming he had to get ready for a class. Leonard stayed some time longer to finish his meal and then drink a cup of coffee.

He decided to go back to his dorm room before the afternoon class. His usual path included a detour through a small park within the Academy, often a peaceful moment around the science and engineering labs.

 _Often_.

An explosion echoed all around him, and the birds flew away with loud chirping. He had no time to think before the medical instincts took over, and he was running towards the source of the sound – one of the engineering buildings.

Numerous people were exiting the building, forcing Leonard to navigate slowly. No one seemed injured at that point, but some of them talked about there being fire on the fourth floor.

He quietly took the water bottle that was left at the reception and darted towards the emergency staircase. He continued to navigate through the people and started going up, but someone took a strong grip on his arm.

“Where the hell are ye going, lad?!” He turned around to see a ginger man holding him, also wearing a cadet uniform. “Things just exploded up there!”

“Do you know which lab exploded?” Leonard asked, ignoring the man's warning as well as his attempt to bring him down the few steps he had climbed. “I could use some help here.”

The man muttered something Leonard couldn't understand over his accent. “Ok, listen,” he shoved Leonard up a couple of steps and started walking ahead of him. “There’s another set of stairs starting from the second floor.” Yet more people were going downstairs, some with minor bruises. “Keep going, yer almost out!” He glanced at Leonard before he continued going upwards, “Yer gonna have to use that other staircase to get to the fourth floor. This one is blocked at the third.”

“Why is there even a secondary staircase?”

Leonard kept a short distance between himself and his guide, who merely shrugged as response. Another group of people came down, all with varying degrees of bruises, and he could only guess that something had fallen on them. Maybe without noticing, Leonard picked his pace up and reached the third floor before the man accompanying him.

The whole floor seemed warmer than the ones below it, and the few people still on it seemed nervous. Some of the younger cadets ran to the two of them, speaking in a jumbled choir, and neither could make sense of what they were trying to say.

“ _Alright, quiet!_ ” Leonard’s voice managed to surpass the others, as well as draw the attention of those within his eyesight outside the small group around them. “First of all, is anyone here hurt?” Low ‘no’s and shaking heads were the only reply he got. “Alright,” he sighed, “I don’t know this building, and I don’t know any of you either, but I’m gonna need someone to tag along.”

The cadets glanced at each other, but the only one to show any kind of useful reaction was the man that had led him until that point. “Oh, bloody hell,” he exclaimed, “Do something! Yer all in Starfleet and afraid of some explosions? What kind of engineers do ye hope to become?!”

With his words, a man stepped forward and the group around them dissipated. Leonard sighed, relieved that at least one of their own – or so he guessed – got through to them.

“Okay,” he pinched the bridge of his nose, “If anyone else wants to help, go with mister…”

“Just call me Scotty,” he spoke as casually as the situation allowed.

“Right. I'm Leonard,” he replied only for him to hear. “Just go with Scotty.” A young woman also stepped forward. “I want some people on the stairs to help those possibly injured get down,” he pointed back at the direction they had come from. “The rest of you, get out, and anyone who has basic medical knowledge, help with first aid until the rest of Medical is here.”

He hadn't realized how natural this all was to him. He was simply walking to his dorm room when the explosion happened, and next thing he knew, he was climbing a set external stairs to help anyone who could still be on the floor of the explosion.

He was skipping steps, mentally cursing the instincts he had developed over the years as a doctor when he saw a figure around the corner. They were not moving as fast as the four cadets, but the dark uniform stood out to him right away.

“How are the two of you?” He asked, without taking his eyes off of the cadet he carried by the shoulder. The man that first reacted to Scotty's words offered to take him downstairs.

Leonard moved past the three of them, ready to walk into the building again when Scotty's voice drew his attention.

“Olson's lab is the one at the end of the corridor,” he ran past Leonard, continuing upwards. “You can't miss it!”

“Okay,” he stopped only to speak to him, “Get to wherever systems control is, and get that fire suppressor working. You two lead anyone you find downstairs!”

“Aye, sir,” Scotty said without a second thought, with the blonde woman trailing behind him.

Leonard went into the fourth floor but did not notice that the figure had followed him in. He crouched in order to avoid inhaling the smoke head on, looking into whatever open doors he came across as he walked down the corridor.

“Cadet.” Someone called him. He would rather ignore it, but they took a firm hold of his shoulder. He looked back, somewhat startled, at whoever was holding him. “Cadet, you are to return to the lobby immediately. It would be logical to–”

“With all due respect, Commander Spock,” Leonard took the Vulcan’s hand off of his shoulder, “I’m not leaving until everyone’s accounted for.”

The doctor continued walking, leaving what would be a dumbfounded person behind. Vulcans, as Leonard was well aware, were touch telepaths, and Spock would surely be able to perceive how unwilling he was to change his mind.

Leonard could hear people from behind the partially opened door at the end of the corridor. He tried pushing the door open, forgetting about his own well being for a moment, but something blocked it from the inside.

“Hey!” He called, unable to see far into the laboratory. His only reply was more jumbled voices he couldn’t really understand. “ _Great_ ,” he muttered, still trying to open the door.

Spock approached but the doctor did not take heed of him. He could hear someone slowly pulling the blockage away from the door, but the fire was still raging inside. The Vulcan took a deep breath and took the most logical step available: Help open the door.

As soon as there was enough of an opening, Leonard slid inside, dropping the water bottle he had carried until then on the floor. He finished pulling what seemed to be a cabinet away from the door, thanks to the surge of adrenaline he was sure to be under.

“Are you alright?” He held the young cadet by his arm, who merely nodded. “Good,” he glanced around the room. “Now get out of here.”

The gray smoke had caught up to him, and Leonard couldn’t hold back the first coughing fit. Regardless, he walked toward the cadet stuck on the corner of the lab, who was trying to get some piece of equipment off of his leg.

“What's even making so much smoke?” Leonard questioned once he could recover enough breath to talk. Spock walked up to him, crouched over, and before he could say anything, the Vulcan handed him a piece of humid cloth. “Well, thanks,” he passed the cloth to the cadet on the floor, “But he needs it more than me.”

“Cadet Olson,” Spock remained by the man's side, while Leonard worked to free his leg, “What were you working on?”

“The… The propulsion project we talked about,” he spoke between small coughing fits, his voice muffled by the cloth he held to his face, “The math was right, but…”

“But theory is different from reality.”

Spock looked up at Leonard, who had just thrown the largest piece of metal to the side. The doctor gestured for him to pull Olson away, which was not a difficult task, but Leonard’s own coughing started again, this time leaving him with a burning sensation on his throat.

The fire suppressor system activated, but none of them wished to stay and assess the damage in the laboratory. There was still smoke, and whatever had burned, was particularly painful to human respiratory system.

Spock carried Olson by the shoulder, helping him walk despite the injured leg. Leonard followed closely behind, taking a mental note to get Olson a shot of tri-ox as soon as they were clear from the smoke.

“Sir!” That was one distinguishable accent. Spock and Leonard turned around in time to see Scotty clumsily jumping over the last few steps, stopping in front of the doctor. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah,” he cleared his throat, trying to hide another cough, “Everyone’s alright.”

Spock continued going down the external staircase with Olson and the cadet that accompanied Scotty. Leonard leaned against the balcony that the staircase created, taking several deep breaths, some punctuated by coughing that tried to clear his lungs of whatever he breathed in that room.

“Are ye sure, sir?” Scotty looked at him a little worried, although he wouldn’t know what to do about it. “Ye don’t look so well.”

“Okay, first of all,” Leonard turned to him, “Stop calling me ‘sir’, you know my name.” He sighed, “Besides, I’m a doctor, not anyone’s boss.”

With one final deep breath, Leonard turned away and continued his way down. _Maybe_ he should get a shot of tri-ox for himself, after everyone else is treated. He could hear Scotty’s steps, but he didn’t see the somewhat surprised expression the engineer had while going down. Why would a doctor be passing by their laboratories?

“Say, Scotty,” Leonard called after the two reached the ground floor, “What happened to the fire system?”

“Ah, that,” he sighed. “Whatever Olson did overloaded the entire control system, thing was well off when we got up there.”

“Len!” Christine called him, running over to him before he could say anything. “Are you alright?”

Leonard finally noticed the number of cadets and officers from medical in the lobby. Somewhat exaggerated, he believed, but no one seemed injured, and people were just coughing. Himself included.

“Here,” she handed him a mask that at least alleviated his coughing. She glanced at Scotty, who merely gestured that he was okay. “I was told Olson was using experimental fuel.”

“Yeah, he–” Leonard turned a glare towards Scotty. “It was for small crafts– Which,” he paused, “Which I guess is even worse, all things considered…”

* * *

 

“Cadet,” Leonard took a deep breath upon hearing that familiar voice again, “I would like to speak to you.”

All he wanted at that moment was to go back to his dorm like originally planned. “If this is about ignoring–”

“I simply have a proposal to make,” Spock said casually, gaining Leonard’s full attention. “And do not worry about your absence in your afternoon class, it will be dealt with later.”

Leonard sighed, relieved. The medical staff had already held him for longer than he would have liked. At least his lungs weren’t burning from whatever fuel residue he had breathed.

"After talking to other cadets, as well as seeing the way you acted today, I believe you have a potential wasted in your current division."  
  
"You gotta be kidding," Leonard chuckled. He froze the moment he realized that Spock was in fact serious. Vulcans _don't_ tell jokes, after all. "Okay, what the hell do you suggest then?"  
  
Leonard realized a little too late that that was no way to talk to a superior officer, but thankfully the vulcan commander did not seem to care.  
  
"The Command Division could benefit from the traits you presented this afternoon," he spoke simply, arms behind his back.  
  
"Damn it," Leonard mumbled, "Um, listen, sir," he was caught off-guard by Spock's ' _suggestion_ '. "I'm a doctor–"  
  
"Whose second to last job before Starfleet was as chief doctor in an emergency hospital," Leonard could swear he was seeing things, but there seemed to be a smirk on the Vulcan's face. "Like you pointed out yourself, cadet, I am merely... Suggesting."  
  
"I won't be responsible for the lives of a crew of god knows how many."  
  
"I believe you would eventually find yourself in such position regardless of division."  
  
Leonard avoided eye contact like he would avoid a plague while trying to find a solution to the dilemma at hand. All manners of thoughts passed through his mind, and no conclusion he reached at that time seemed satisfactory.

“I'll…” He shrugged. “I'll think about it.”

Spock left with a subtle nod. Leonard stood silent, still in the park around the labs, as the commander walked away. He took a deep breath, thinking about the _next_ big decision he had to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The three little extras there are all canon characters. Let's see if you folks can guess who they are!


	2. Kobayashi Maru

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, I actually updated! This is some kind of first for some of my big projects. Enjoy! :D

“C’mon, Bones, snap out of it.” Jim tapped his roommate’s shoulder in order to get him out of whatever daydream he was having. “There’s a bridge waiting for its soon-to-be captain.”

Leonard groaned at his comment. He still did not believe that Spock would make that sort of proposal seriously, let alone that he'd accept it, but they were walking to a simulator nevertheless.

“There must be someone better qualified for this,” he finally looked at Jim, without slowing down. “I pretty much have no useful skills to lead an entire ship.”

“If the way you lead a medical team is anything to go by–”

“That's very different, kid.”

“Bones, if I didn't know you, I'd guess you're nervous.” Leonard looked at him, and his raised eyebrow was an indication that yes, he was in fact nervous. _Considerably_ so. “Relax,” he sighed, “You'll do fine!”

Jim's light tap on his back didn't do much to reassure him. They both knew the simulation, Jim himself took it once and dragged Leonard with him. How he managed to stay so upbeat about it was beyond him. It was almost as if he didn't believe it to be such a challenge.

Leonard's biggest concern ever since he transferred to Command had been this damn simulation. He was worried about what the Kobayashi Maru would mean in his case, he recognized that, but none of that mattered at that moment. The two of them arrived at the simulator.

Leonard entered without a second thought, otherwise, he felt he could change his mind. Jim followed closely, quickly taking his place at the security station, as Leonard walked towards the captain chair in the middle.

Some of the other cadets were familiar faces from Jim’s own take at the Kobayashi Maru. He could feel them staring, or so he thought and assumed it was merely because of the fact _he_ was going for the captain chair, and not Jim. God knows he could take it twice.

Leonard looked at the window to his left. He could see two or three officers in the cabin that overlooked the simulator, including that green-blooded commander that dragged him into this mess. He breathed deeply and exhaled only after sitting down, as ready as he could ever be.

“Commander Spock,” the voice of one of the officers called to the Vulcan, “Everything is ready to begin.”

He acknowledged with a simple nod. There was a certain curiosity, he supposed, as to how cadet McCoy would take the simulation. He was familiar with it, but that alone meant nothing, and Spock knew that Leonard followed the oaths he swore as a doctor very closely. There was a certain pattern to cadets that aspired to be captains, however, and he wanted to see how far from – or close to that pattern Leonard was.

“We are picking up a distress signal from the civilian ship Kobayashi Maru,” the long-haired woman notified with professionalism all over her face and and a pleasant tone in her voice. “It's somewhat garbled, but…” She paused, listening, “There's something about a cloaked mine. They report extensive damage to engines and breach of the antimatter containment field.”

 _A lot of information from a garbled signal._ Leonard glanced at her as she spoke, then turned to helm and navigation controls. “Do we have coordinates?”

“Yes,” the navigator replied, “But it leads into the Klingon neutral zone.”

 _Of course it does_ . “Then take us to its edge.” That sounded the surest Leonard had been all morning. _Civilian ship_ . Did Spock modify the simulation? From what he gathered, civilian ships barely had a third of the defensive power of a Federation starship, so if one were to run into Klingons… _And cloaked mines?_ As far as he knew, Klingons did not use mines of any form. At least, in case the ship was not already in pieces, there would be a chance for rescue.

All kinds of thoughts darted around his mind, and he visibly shifted on the chair during the minute it took them to reach their ‘ _destination_ ’, on the edge of the neutral zone. A simple nudge on the simulated ship, and it would go in.

He took a discreet, deep breath, and turned to Jim, whose station was to the left of the chair. “Divert weapon’s power to shields.” He chose to ignore his friend’s rather incredulous expression as he did what was ordered. “Take us in,” Leonard turned back to the helmswoman, “And try to avoid any, uh… Surprises. Focus on the ship.”

Like hell he would pretend to not know what was going to happen. As soon as the simulated ship crossed into the neutral zone, three Klingon birds-of-prey decloaked around them. The helmswoman was quick to understand him, or had quick thinking in general, because she showed excellent skills in maneuvering around the phasers and torpedoes that were fired at them immediately.

The first wave of attacks was successfully avoided and they were headed towards the _S.S. Kobayashi Maru_. The Klingon ships were close behind, but that was not what Leonard was concerned with.

“Prepare the tractor beam.” Leonard's command made sense to Jim like something that had triggered a memory. Of course he would try it. “We are pulling them out.”

The shields had as much power as they could give it, which would at least _help_ with the Klingon threat. But there was still the problem of the containment field breach as they pulled the smaller craft to the direction they had come from.

“Sir, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Christ, Leonard had not seen the Scotsman until now. “That will drain the ship’s power too quickly, and they could just blow us out at any minute.”

Leonard sighed. There was a choice to be made, and he somewhat hated both options: Lower shields to start transporting the crew immediately but risk a new wave of attack by the Klingons, or try to tow the ship out of the neutral zone with the risk of running out of power in it – or worse, having the ship explode and take them along.

“Keep the ship on tow,” Leonard spoke after a deep breath. “Lower shields, and start transporting the survivors immediately.”

The helmsman maneuvered the best she could while trying to keep both ships out of the line of Klingon fire, but that was virtually impossible. Leonard had the course set to take them out of the neutral zone, but he doubted they would make it with three bird-of-preys so close.

And soon enough, damage reports started coming in. Hull breaches on multiples decks, casualties on every one of them, and on both ships.

 _Evasive maneuvers, dammit._ Not that he needed to say it to the helmswoman, she seemed to be doing better at keeping it cool than he believed himself to be. Three-to-one was almost comically unfair anyway. About thirty percent of the civilian crew had been transported aboard when the simulation decided it would be more effective to target the smaller ship, lagging behind as the Federation starship maneuvered.

The tractor beam was deactivated, and shields and weapons were brought back on. Momentum alone carried the Kobayashi Maru forward. Leonard tried to defend the ship the best he could, circling around it and trying to get the birds-of-prey away, but it was not long until a lucky shot took the civilian ship’s engines out with an explosion, amplified by the already failing containment field, that took their own ship with it.

 _Well, now it’s over_. Leonard threw his back against the chair. He felt as if the simulation had lasted a very short while, but also longer than he personally expected to last in it, not that it made much sense. Perception of time could get weird.

Jim got up, making a small detour on his way out to give Leonard a tap on his shoulder with a smile, and navigator and helmswoman also passed by him with a similar expression. What the hell had he done to impress three – well, one former and two current – cadets of the Command division? He got up with a glance at the observation window to his left. He couldn’t see anyone. Probably better that way.

Leonard expected to hear about the simulation on the next few days. Something about how Jim and the others reacted made him feel a little more confident, although he decided to simply carry on with his day.

There were still a couple of hours until he had to be back in the Academy for the next lecture, and Leonard could use a more relaxing activity in the meantime. He decided to walk to the park just outside of the Academy that overlooked the Golden Gate bridge, _somehow_ still standing after god knows how long.

It was a pleasant day, although he heard something about rain later. For the time being, he silently watched the bay, walking along some beaten path. For all he wanted to relax, however, his mind was still racing, thinking about the change in career.

It had been a little over than a month, and he had a swarm of credits in Command to catch up on, as well as another in Medical to keep up with. _One day at a time, Leonard_ , he sighed.

“Cadet McCoy.” _Christ._ He turned abruptly in order to face the source of that somewhat familiar voice. “Sorry if I startled you, son,” he smiled. Christopher Pike, Starfleet captain, stood in front of him, and Leonard was tense again. “Got a minute?”

They sat down on a nearby bench, and Christopher seemed to be as interested in the movement in the bay as Leonard had been until then.

“I watched your take at the test,” he spoke casually with, Leonard could swear to it, a hint of something like curiosity. He turned a glance at Christopher, who was scrutinizing his face quite carefully, and immediately turned away again. “For someone who never even considered command before, you seem to do quite well.”

Leonard held in a deep breath while he looked forward in a glazed stare at nothing in particular. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat in order to force himself to speak. “I, uh, not to disrespect your professional view, but...” He turned to him and paused, searching for decent enough words. His usual, rather abrasive self wouldn't quite cut it. “I was pretty content to be a doctor.”

“Then why did you take Spock’s offer?” The simple, yet somehow one-million-credit question. Leonard looked away with no idea of what to say, and the seasoned captain caught onto it quickly. “Doctors can heal, mend wounds and save lives that are already at risk.” It was Leonard's turn to watch the other's expression – an almost fatherly smile. “And I have a feeling you'd rather not let it get to that.”

“That's just what Jim said.” He chuckled, “Well, among many other things.” Leonard rubbed the back of his neck on instinct and his tone changed slightly. “I’ve been a doctor my whole life, dammit…”

“Medical experience wouldn't be a first in a captain.” The man was determined, of that Leonard was sure. No wonder Jim joined Starfleet after all. “It’ll do you good.”

“In all honesty, sir–”

“A captain has the power to prevent unnecessary deaths,” he continued, “You just have to act on it.”

“If that simulation were real, five hundred people would be dead, and I would've started a war,” he sighed, and his expression turned serious. “There's hardly a good option when it comes to choosing someone to die…”

“If that were real, you'd act the way it seemed best.” Complete silence from the cadet. “This is more than the Kobayashi Maru, isn't it?” Leonard merely looked away and his shoulders stiffened. “I’m sorry,” Christopher sighed. “The point is, we make choices, and we have to deal with them.” A smile returned to his face, although faint and not exactly a happy looking one. “Whether we like them or not.”

“And just what am I supposed to do?” He shrugged. “If it _feels_ like there's a chance to keep someone alive, I'll take it, even if there isn't actually any.”

“I can see what got Spock interested in you.” Christopher got up and Leonard immediately followed. “You’ll make a fine captain one day, McCoy.” _What kind of non-answer was that?_ “For now, you should get back to your next class. Medical's gonna need you tonight.”

Christopher left before Leonard could do or say anything. Despite the lingering doubt, the Command cadet – good god, he was still not used to the idea – returned to the Academy for the rest of his day. With Pike now onto him, there was no way he would be getting out of it so easily. And he still had a full day ahead of him.


End file.
